A career-high 25 points from Alyssa Ustby guided the UNC women’s basketball team past Wake Forest on the road Sunday night, 58-50.

Ustby added 10 rebounds to record the 36th double-double in her collegiate career. She was one of just two Tar Heels to reach double figures, along with Deja Kelly, who had 15 points. Despite the low scoring output, the Tar Heels shot an efficient 22-42 (52.4 percent) from the floor. It’s the first time since January 4 the team has finished a game shooting 50 percent or better.

Where the Tar Heels struggled was at the foul line. Carolina finished the night a lowly 11-25 (44 percent) on free throws, a season low. UNC had shot at least 73 percent at the line in each of its last four games. Carolina also turned the ball over 24 times, also a season-worst mark.

Those miscues allowed Wake Forest, which came in winless in league play, to hang around longer than any Tar Heel fan was comfortable with. UNC ended the first quarter up 20-8 and led by as many as 14 points late in the second quarter, but the Demon Deacons stayed within striking distance and cut that lead to as low as six multiple times in the second half. Fortunately for head coach Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels, Wake shot just 18-57 (31.6 percent) from the floor and 4-16 (25 percent) on three-pointers. Carolina also held a decisive 40-27 edge in rebounds, led by Ustby’s 10.

The win improves Carolina to 17-9 on the season and 9-5 in conference play. The Tar Heels sit in sixth place, a half-game ahead of 8-5 Notre Dame and Duke (the Fighting Irish and Blue Devils play on Monday) and a half-game behind 10-5 Florida State. Virginia Tech (13-2), Syracuse (12-3), NC State (11-3) and Louisville (10-4) make up the league’s top 4.

UNC will be back in action on Thursday night when it hosts No. 6 NC State at Carmichael Arena at 8 p.m. The Wolfpack won the first meeting of the season on February 1.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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